Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association

Uncovering loaded needles and syringes to apprehending an assistant starter who was in possession of a controlled substance, seasoned integrity teams conducted searches and seizures last week across a pair of Keystone State racetracks. Led by the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission staff, the sweeps took place first in Erie at Presque Isle Downs before spending three days downstate at Parx Racing in Bensalem through Saturday's GI Pennsylvania Derby. As part of their integrity program, the Commission once again put together a group of investigators--this time from nine states, plus...

Members of the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (PTHA) have selected horse owner and breeder Robert Hutt to serve as the new president of the organization. Bob Hutt is president and CEO of Uptowncharlybrown Stud, LLC, a Pennsylvania-based Thoroughbred breeder and management firm. Hutt has 37 years of experience as an owner and a breeder and is the lead sponsor of the PTHA's Turning for Home, the association's signature racehorse aftercare and placement program. "I am honored and thrilled to represent the horsemen at Parx," Hutt said. "As president of the...

When trainer Tom Van Berg won two Claiming Crown races Saturday with his first horses in that series, most racing regulars made the connection to his father, the late Hall-of-Fame conditioner Jack Van Berg. But a link to another family legacy in that series might not have been as apparent: John Timothy Kirby, 25, who also saddled his first Claiming Crown starter to a victory in his first-ever race at Churchill Downs, is a third-generation horseman with strong roots that run deep in New England. In fact, after more than...

Michael P. Ballezzi, who retired last year after 25 years as executive director of the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (PTHA), passed away Wednesday, Aug. 31. "We've lost not only a great horseman, but also a great friend and leader," said PTHA board of directors president Salvatore DeBunda. "Mike dedicated 25 years of his life to championing the well-being and care of equine athletes, as well as championing the interests of horsemen at Parx Racetrack and across Pennsylvania. When he retired, Mike left behind an incredible legacy at the PTHA." A...

The Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (PTHA), which represents the interests of horsemen at Parx Racing, has named Jeffrey A. Matty, Jr. as its new Executive Director effective Jan. 1, 2022. Matty has served as Racing Manager for Besecker Racing Stable, an Assistant Stakes Coordinator at Monmouth Park Racetrack, and a Racing Official with Parx Racing. Matty will fill a vacancy left by Michael P. Ballezzi, who announced his retirement earlier this month after 25 years of leadership. "We are thrilled to have Jeffrey Matty joining the PTHA as our new...

Trainer Ron Glorioso, a mainstay at Parx since that track opened in 1974, passed away Oct. 22 at St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. He was 79. Before entering training, the Philadelphia native was a Pennsylvania State Trooper assigned to the mounted unit. He stayed with the state police for five years before shifting gears and becoming a trainer. He first became interested in racing when his father took him to the track when he was a freshman in high school. Glorioso started out in the late sixties at...

Turning for Home, Inc. was created by the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (PTHA) in 2008 as a model program for racehorse retirement at Parx Racing. Parx was the first to implement a mandatory funding plan simultaneously with rules forbidding horse owners and trainers from sending horses to, or allowing horses to end up in slaughterhouse kill pens. The program was a success from inception and it has evolved from there. We caught up with the current program administrator Danielle Montgomery to talk about the program's solid support, success stories and...

There's never been a GI Kentucky Derby contender quite like No Parole (Violence), who stayed undefeated when winning Saturday's Premier Night Prince S. at Delta Downs. He may not be the best 3-year-old in the country, but he is certainly the most intriguing. How good is he? It's impossible to tell. His route to the Derby has included a maiden race, an allowance race and the Prince, all races against fellow Louisiana-breds. Normally, anyone winning those races wouldn't register on anyone's radar, but this horse is different. The 'TDN Rising...

Parx Racing and the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (PTHA) announced Friday the creation of the $20 Million Parx Racing Fall Festival from Aug. 29-Oct. 20. The purse level at the Bensalem oval will be doubled for the meet duration of 32 live race days, with the aim of increasing field size, enhancing betting interest and drawing new fans to the racetrack. During the past several years, Parx and the PTHA have built up the Fall Festival around the $1 million GII Pennsylvania Derby, won in 2015 by GI Breeders' Cup...